The fishing this year, as in past years, was not exactly like a scene
from A River Runs Through It. The Weenie Men still lacked
any great proficiency at this trout catching business. But, in our
defense, I must point out that fly-fishing in the Smokies is a
little trickier than what you may have seen in the movies. In the
movies, the fisherman lazily strides across open field to the wide,
riffled stream. There, his presence masked by the splashing of the
stream, he gracefully plays out yards of line from his fly rod in
smooth, flowing arcs. When his fly flutters down to the surface of
the water, a huge trout explodes from the water, aggressively attacking
it. In the Smokies, it doesn't quite work that way. For starters, to
get to a decent stretch of water, the Smokies fisherman may have to
hike several miles, then literally crawl down steep cliffs, through
dense undergrowth, to reach the stream. Once there, he must stealthily
slide into the stream, for if the water is disturbed, the trout will
take leave. Once in the stream, the Weenie Man must then contend with
the powerful currents and rocks slicker than any material devised by
man. Finally, once in position, comes the cast. All backyard practice
is useless, for the streams in the Smokies resemble rhododendron tunnels,
and these tunnels are hungry for flies. Rarely is there enough room to
raise the fly rod to its full length, much less negotiate a cast like
those in the movies. Each cast is a true act of ingenuity. And oh, what
a penalty must be paid for botching a cast. The act of attaching a new
fly to a tippet no thicker than a human hair, using 40-year-old eyes and
fingers numbed by the cold stream, can be exceedingly difficult. Then,
even if all is executed to perfection, the trout may rise to the fly,
only to turn away at the last second, having decided that your
offering does not agree with his palate.

Typical casting tunnel.

Several years previous, Rob had coined a phrase used often by Weenie
Men experiencing such disappointment: "aquatic sons of bitches".